Fire-extinguisher



o Mo del. v (N E. J. O'BRIEN 811E. SGHAEFER.

FIRE EQXTINGUISHER.

Patented May 19, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. OBRIEN AND EDIVARD SOHAEFER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

'FIRE-EXITINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,277, dated May 19, 1896.

Application filed November I, 1895. Serial No. 567,849. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD J. OBRIEN and EDWARD SOHAEFER, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have jointly invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-EXtinguishers, of which the following is a description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

Our invention belongs to the kind of fireextinguishing devices known as chemical, wherein is employed a strong acid, such as sulfuric or muriatic acid, which is contained in a vessel adapted to be located and operated in a close sheet-metal outer tank containing a solution of bicarbonate of soda and water, the commingling of thctwo bodies of acid and alkali constituting the active principle of the machine and the resultant body of mixed carbonic-acid gas and water-vapor being cast upon a fire through an opening and suitable hose and nozzle, and thereby extinguishing the fire. I

The invention seeks to provide'means for securely locking the stopper of the acidholder and to so construct the device that its operation will be simple and direct and its recharging may be efiected without the loss or injury of any of its parts. lVe attain these objects in the manner illustrated by the drawings, in whichi Figure I is an upright perpendicular View in cross section of an extinguisher -tank having the base broken away and showing our improvement and acid-holder closed in place therein. Fig. II is a similar View of the same inverted, showing the stopper and parts open and in position of discharging the machine. Fig. III is a crosssectional bot: tom View of our improvement, taken on cen tral dotted line 3 3, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a sectional View showing curved depending plate and junction therewith of our stopper and the acid-bottle by the lug and shoulder used in operating. Fig. V is a diagrammatic View showing the position of the acid-bottle receiving the acidin charging.

Similar letters and figures have'reference to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, A, B, and C, respectively, represent the main tank, the acid-holder, and the cap or cover of the main tank, and 1, 2,

and 3 together constitute the stopper, of which 1 is the central part, 2 theba'se, and 3 the rim. The base part 2 isogee or c0- noidal in bottom outline, thus allowing of its carrying the stopper, which'is attached to the lower end thereof at let. This rod is contained and operated in the middle of cap 0 and stuffing-box 11, which it enters at 12.

7 and 7 a are curved metalplates which depend downwardly from the inside of the cap C at a part equidistant from its center, so

that the curved edge 6 of the plate or plates 7 '7 will intercept the lugs 4 and 4:, and thereby guide and hold or release the stopper to and from its seat .over the mouth of the acids bottle when the handle 9 of the rod 10 is turned toward or from the shoulders 5 5 and raised or lowered by the hand.

The acid-bottle is located in a cage formed by the wires 17 17, fastened at their upper ends to the inside of the cap 0 and having their lower ends turned in and fastened to the disk 21 by solder or otherwise. There is an indentation or shoulder 18, formed on the cage-wires 17, whereby the bottle is held down in place when the machine is operated. The outer tank in machines of this type has a cross wire or handle at the bottom, whereby it may beheld upside'down. We have not shown this part in the drawings, it being a well-kno wn feature and because our improvement does not necessitate it, as this device doesnot require complete inversion in order to be effectually operated, as machines employing a weight or break-ball to destroy the acid-holder do. When it is required to charge this machine, the bottle B is withdrawn through the cage-wires, which readily yield thereto, until it is in the position indicated by diagrammatic View, Fig. V. Then the required amount of acid is poured into it, and it is returned to its normal upright position within the cage. The outer tank is then filled with water for about seven-eighths of its capacity and the bicarbonate of soda added and agitated or shaken until the soda is dissolved. Then screw the cap C, carrying the acidholder, &c., in its place 011 the outer tank, and the handle 9 given a half-turn, and it is complete, ready to be hung up or shipped until such time as required for use on a fire. lVhen it is desired to discharge the extinguisher, the stopper is given a half-turn by the handle 9, thus releasing the stopper from its supporting lugs and shoulders and leaving it free to be raised up on the rod 10 by hand. The tank is then turned over until the acid discharges into the alkaline water, and the operation is complete, the contents being discharged by the hose and nozzle.

Having thus described our invention, that which we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. In a chemical fire-extinguisher, the combination with the tank, and the acid-holder, of a cap for the tank, a stopper for the acidholder mounted in the cap, an d locking-plates depending from the cap and adapted to hold the stopper in the acid-holder.

2. In a chemical fire-extinguisher, the eo1nbination with the tank, and the acid-holder, of a cap for the tank, a vertically-movable stopper mounted in the cap and provided with lateral radial lugs, and locking-plates depending from the cap and engaging the said lugs to hold the stopper in the acid-holder.

In a chemical fire-extinguisher, the combination with the outer tank, and acid-bottlcz of the upright smooth operatingrod, surmounted by a handle and carryinga conoidalshaped stopper, the curved depending plates engaging the stopper by lugs together with the stuffing-box, and cage depending from the top, all arranged and operating in the manner shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

EDWARD J. OBRIEN. EDWARD SOTIAEFER.

\Vitnesses:

FRANCIS VALLiJ, F. BAUM. 

